1000+ Head-Fier

Sounds like these might be potential basshead phones. Any comparisons with the Fostex TH-900? Those had strident highs, but if these are more forgiving I might consider. Where is the bass centralized? Is it more sub-bass or mid-bass?

100+ Head-Fier

I just gave them another extended listen and I have to revise my opinion a bit. I'll make some changes to my initial post, but I do want to mention that I think the comfort would be better for most people. I'm just a bit of an outlier there. Once you have it on your head for a while you can get used to it a bit. And I typically don't like single headpiece designs to begin with, so I'd change comfort to a B, perfectly fine for a portable.

Sound quality is also improved with some of the adjustment pads tightening the bass a bit. I found after I got used to the extra low end I started to enjoy it more. Changing sound quality to an A-. For some of you, this will also be exactly the sound signature you're looking for.

When it comes to the tuning inserts, they're very thin slices of fabric that cover the open side cutout behind the pads, and then get held in place as it fits to the cup. Smart design. There are also multiple tuning insert options.

500+ Head-Fier

Joined:
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Just received the Cascade and plugged it into my ZX2 to see what's what. Unfortunately, I don't think its sound is going to sit well with me in the long or even short run. The comparison to the Vega is a reasonable one, although I don't think the Cascade is nearly as technically surefooted as I recall the Vega being.

I've installed the 4T insert in the hope of taming the bass and elevating the rest of the frequency response. As @KB recommended, I will give burn-in a try and see if that perceptibly improves the presentation.

500+ Head-Fier

To me the sound is more like Lyra II than Vega, will wait for the diamond version.

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That seems about right. Although it's a bit less mid-bassy than the Lyra II with the 4T tuning pad inserted, the Cascade's sound is fairly similar. I'd pretty much forgotten about the Lyra II, as I did not care for it whatsoever.

100+ Head-Fier

That seems about right. Although it's a bit less mid-bassy than the Lyra II with the 4T tuning pad inserted, the Cascade's sound is fairly similar. I'd pretty much forgotten about the Lyra II, as I did not care for it whatsoever.

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To me the problem is mostly with the highs, not so much with the bass. My concern is that we might need to spend several months or more waiting for the diamond version, so that's why I get the cascade right now.

500+ Head-Fier

@czy6412 There is a roughness to the Cascade's highs reminiscent of the Lyra II, but the midrange is a bit more clear as the bass, (while excessive) doesn't bleed as badly into the midrange.

Although I anticipate Campfire will offer additional headphones models down the road, I opted to pick this one up for an audition to get a sense of what one might expect in the future. And although there are some positives to observe, this initial foray strikes me as rather rough.

Sounds like these might be potential basshead phones. Any comparisons with the Fostex TH-900? Those had strident highs, but if these are more forgiving I might consider. Where is the bass centralized? Is it more sub-bass or mid-bass?

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I haven't heard the TH-900, but I own both the Purpleheart and Ebony versions of the TH-X00. I can say with some confidence that the Cascade does not perform at the same level as those headphones.

100+ Head-Fier

Yes. It's a nicely built cable, but the ruggedized jacket leaves it more prone to kinking than I'd like.

I haven't heard the TH-900, but I own both the Purpleheart and Ebony versions of the TH-X00. I can say with some confidence that the Cascade does not perform at the same level as those headphones.

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Not sure about that. I prefer the Cascade sound to the Ebony th-x00 (haven't heard the purple heart). To me, those cans are too v shaped, and I don't like electronic music. I found the Cascade to have fairly nice mids coming through.

New Head-Fier

I should never have come into this thread. I own the Polaris because of its signature. It sounds like the Cascade has one similar with amazing bass. As someone who listens to a lot of EDM, almost exclusively to be honest, these sound like a "definitely give them a thought" headphone.

500+ Head-Fier

I own the Polaris because of its signature. It sounds like the Cascade has one similar with amazing bass. As someone who listens to a lot of EDM, almost exclusively to be honest, these sound like a "definitely give them a thought" headphone.

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To me, the bass on the Polaris is more refined and less obtrusive than the bass of the Cascade. Hardly an apples–apples comparison, given that one is an in-ear and the other a headphone, but hopefully it's useful information. Having owned and enjoyed the Polaris, I would agree that it excels with EDM. But the earlier comparison of the Cascade to the Lyra II made by @czy6412 seems more apt to me.

Listening side-by-side with the Ebony, it's not really a fair fight. The Ebony's bass is significantly more controlled and, consequently, textured and articulate. Better sense of space, more natural staging proportions. The midrange is considerably smoother on the Ebony and the highs "sparkle" nicely.

The Cascade just doesn't stack up very well. It's notably more fatiguing to listen to. It tracks most closely with the TH-X00 in the highs. Bit less forward there, which some may prefer.

To its credit as a portable, the Cascade does respond nicely to mobile devices. The TH-X00 suffers without dedicated amplification.